For some unknown reason I wrote several little "motorcycle" stories that I recently found in my "Word" documents. I found this one to be kinda funny, so I thought I would share. This one is from three years ago....A New Comer Into The Motorcycle “Lingo”
Not so long ago, I was standing with my husband amongst a group of seasoned riders at a local motorcycle rally trying desperately to understand what everyone was talking about and doing my best to keep my embarrassingly 1 1/2 years experience under wraps. I mean it’s hard enough just trying to get the riding thing down and do my best not to fall off the bike, now I have to know what the hell people are talking about when they ask me how many cc’s does my bike have and is it a twin, V twin, vertical single, opposed twin, in-line triple or an in-line 4………excuse me?
A short time later I found myself trying to make small talk with this big burly guy covered in tattoos and leathers telling me about how his new bike pulls 98.6 lbs of torque, but that he was having problems with his petcock! I smiled politely, nodding my head, wanting to excuse myself wondering why this guy would want to talk about French deserts and something that sounded way too personal to be telling to a perfect stranger, but rather consult a doctor about!
I couldn't help wonder, am I the only novice rider that’s not up to speed on the “motorcycle lingo”? Well, I am here to shed some much-needed light for all you girls (and guys) that have been in the dark as I have been, while trying to look intelligent when interacting with other fellow motorcyclists.
I did a little research on some of the basic mechanical elements and wording that have been consistently used since my kinship with motorcycling, which, I have to say, has helped to make me a more of an enlightened rider.
Okay, who could have even begun to assume that the Dry Weight of a motorcycle meant the actual weight of a bike without any fluids in it, such as oil, gas or coolants? I thought this meant before a bike got wet, by rain or before I decided to wash the bug remnants off from the last ride.
And Final Drive, one can only come to one conclusion, and that is referring to my one last hurrah on my beloved bike before I go to the big one in the sky, right? Or maybe they could be talking about the power transfer from the transmission to the rear wheel, which could be by chain, belt or shaft, hummm?
Chassis, wait don’t tell me, I know this one, I've heard of this before in regards to cars. Yes, I am almost sure of it, it’s the frame of the bike, or as I remember it; my mechanic echoing in my memory, “ It’s going to cost you a good $5,000 to straighten out your chassis after running over that fire hydrant”
And so it goes on…
Displacement or CC’s – the terms usually used in total volume by all the engines pistons, which is measured in cubic centimeters (CC)
Torque- the twisting force from the engine to the rear and front wheels. (not a French desert, like I thought!)
Horsepower- engine strength. Horsepower and Torque together are the main influences on how a bike rides and feels. And believe it or not, each horsepower unit equates how much actual “live” horse strength it has! Strange, but true!
Transmission- or the gear box, most motorcycles have 1-5 or 1-6 forward gears.
Fork- portion of the bike that holds the front tire and allows you to steer.
Petcock- this a switch that is usually located right under the left side of the fuel tank that controls fuel to the engine along with a reserve tank when main fuel has been exhausted. (This is not at all what I thought it was!)
Fairing- a plastic or fiberglass shell usually on a sport or touring bike.
Suspension- cushions the ride, which is typically on the front forks and the swing arm at the rear.
Rigid Frame- NO suspension (NO thanks!)
Slip ons- replaces the muffler on the exhaust pipes. (I thought this was a new kind of high heel a Nordie’s)
Baffel- ceramic tube with holes located inside the exhaust pipe, yes, that is baffle(ing)????
Charging output- I thought this might have something to do with my credit rating, but low and behold it was all about the limit of electrical capacity of a motorcycle i.e. how much crap can you put on it before it blows a fuse!
Any way you get the idea of the difficult and compromising position one can be in, as a motorcyclist, talking to other motorcyclists. Especially a new motorcyclist that’s a girl!
Cindi
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